TOKYO – Generally speaking, one of the benefits of fighting at heavyweight is the ability to enjoy an in-camp cheat meal every now and then. For the 7-foot-tall Stefan Struve (25-5 MMA, 9-3 UFC), that’s not the case. He didn’t even get to enjoy a slice of his own birthday cake.

“I got two awesome training sessions on my birthday – happy birthday to me,” Struve joked with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). “My girl got me a really nice cake, and I had to put it in the freezer. It will be waiting for me when I come back from Japan.”

Already a 12-fight UFC veteran, Struve turned 25 earlier this month. He didn’t get much of a chance to enjoy the occasion, as he was putting the finishing touches on his preparation for this weekend’s UFC on FUEL TV 8 event, where the towering Dutchman meets Mark Hunt (8-7 MMA, 3-1 UFC) on the night’s main card.

Struve brings with him a four-fight win streak that has earned him a No. 9 slot in the UFC’s official rankings. When the fight first was announced, some pundits believed it was a bit of a step backward for Struve, but he said the chance to fight Hunt in a country that reveres him as an MMA and kickboxing superstar made the decision very easy.

“I didn’t have to think long about it,” Struve said. “I pretty much signed the contract the same day.

“He’s a huge name. He’s on a three-fight win streak. I’m going to fight him in Japan, where he’s a living legend. A win over Mark Hunt is going to be huge for my career, so I didn’t have to do much thinking about that.”

The real thinking came in his approach to the actual matchup. Like in most of his fights, Struve will tower over his opponent, but this time it will be especially so. After all, Hunt is just 5-10, 14 inches shorter than Struve.

But if there has been a constant criticism of Struve during his first 12 UFC bouts, it’s that he doesn’t always use his range to his advantage and has a tendency to allow opponents to touch his chin. If there’s an opponent who will be willing to walk through Struve’s reach to throw power shots, it’s certainly Hunt. However, Struve said he’s not oblivious to his opponent’s strengths and is well-prepared for the matchup.

“It’s pretty easy when you think of it: If I fight in his distance and his reach, I’m going to have a long night – well, a short night, actually,” Struve said. “He’s probably going to knock your head somewhere in the third or fourth row. But if I fight him in my own distance, at my own reach and on my terms, he’s in for a very bad night, in my opinion.

“When he tries to close the distance and throw one of those big punches, then I have the option to take the fight to the ground. If I fight my fight, it shouldn’t be too difficult in my opinion.”

And then he can finally enjoy that birthday cake – but not one moment before. You see, the man that debuted as a 240-pound 22-year-old is now walking around right at the heavyweight limit and will actually be trimming a few pounds before he hits the scale. The added weight is the result of constant attention to his diet and strength-and-conditioning program, and Struve believes fans will notice the difference he’s made even since his September win over Stipe Miocic.

“I’ve gotten a lot stronger; it’s something that we’re working on,” Struve said. “I’ve got a really clean and healthy diet that keeps my weight down a little bit. If I didn’t do that diet, I’d be well over 300 pounds, I think. I just want to take it easy and don’t go there too fast so that it won’t affect my conditioning.

“I’m about 265, 270 pounds right now, and I’m feeling great. I’m strong. I just want to take it slowly and add weight naturally.”

And before the critics come out, wondering if the youngster is jumping on the testosterone-replacement bandwagon, Struve wants to make that painfully clear.

“When the day comes when I’m going to need anything like that to be able to compete with the top guys in the world like I’m doing right now, I think I’ll quit,” Struve said. “I’m afraid to put anything in my body that I don’t really know what it’s going to do in my body. The only thing I know for sure is that in 10 or 20 years, I’ll be better off without using right now.”

And so Struve sticks to the tried-and-true tenants of hard work and constant attention to technique. A win over Hunt would mean five-straight octagon victories – not an easy task in the UFC.

But for Struve, he believes it’s just the beginning. Mark Hunt, birthday cake, move up the ladder.

“The only position I care about in the rankings is No. 1, so I just want to keep on going up and fight the next guy that’s on the list,” Struve said. “I’ve worked on everything. I’m in really good shape. I got a lot bigger and stronger, and I’ve got a couple new submissions and striking techniques to show.

“I worked on my footwork and fighting at my distance. People are going to have to figure out a gameplan for me. I don’t have to figure one out for them.”

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